While many people think being single and childless around the holidays is a bad thing, I would say it’s actually the greatest thing. For a month straight, I get to lounge in my sweats, listen to Justin Bieber’s Christmas album on repeat, and eat nothing but ham and cheese. Most of the gifts I buy are gifts for myself (thank you, BFCM), and I don’t have to do the who’s-house-we’re-spending-the-holidays-with thing (yikes).

Now if you’re not single and do in fact have children, there are so many joys to the holidays that I hope to one day experience. But, you too can experience some of my joys, by:

Lounging in really comfy sweats
Listening to Justin Bieber’s Christmas Album on repeat
Buying yourself a nice gift, just because
Making these pull-apart croque monsieur rolls

The best part about these rolls is they use store-bought biscuit dough, because in the wise words of Ina Garden, store bought is just fine. The biscuit dough not only saves the hours you would spend making fresh dough, but also adds a flaky-buttery texture to these rolls that make them *perfect*.

So, join me in my December aughts, and eat nothing but ham & cheese!

prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 35 minutes

makes: 16 rolls

watch the video here

INGREDIENTS

for the mornay sauce:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup gruyere cheese, finely grated

1/2 tsp. dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. nutmeg, ground or freshly grated

for the rolls:

1 package biscuit dough (6 biscuits)

8 oz. ham, chopped into 1/2” cubes*

4 oz. gruyere cheese, chopped into 1/4” cubes + more, for topping

optional: fresh chives or parsley, for topping

*feel free to use leftover ham from your holiday festivities here!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line an 8” springform pan or an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper (if using the square pan, allow the parchment to hang over the sides for easy lifting).

Make the mornay sauce: Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, then add flour, whisking constantly until mixture is pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then slowly pour in milk, whisking as you pour, until mixture is thick and creamy. Add grated gruyere cheese and whisk until cheese is fully melted into the sauce. Then, add dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and whisk until incorporated. Keep sauce on very low heat until ready to use, whisking occasionally (if the sauce cools and starts to congeal, simply heat it up again and whisk!).

Prepare your roll station: assemble your ham, cheese, biscuits, and mornay sauce around your work surface for easy access when you make your rolls.

Make the rolls: Divide one biscuit into half, pulling apart in the center of the dough, then gently flatten and stretch the dough with your fingers to make the round larger, about as wide as a large orange. Spread 1 tbsp. of mornay sauce in the center of the dough, then add 2 tbsp. of cubed ham and 1 tbsp. of cubed cheese. Close the dough into a ball, pulling the sides up together and twisting the seams shut. Repeat for remaining biscuits, making 12 rolls total. Place rolls, seam-side down, into your prepared baking pan and par-bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, take the rolls out of the oven, and spread the tops with a generous amount of mornay sauce, about 1 cup total. Top with extra grated cheese, and if desired, a small slice of ham on each roll. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

Before serving, remove rolls from baking dish and plate, then top with fresh chives or parsley if using. Enjoy!